1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a head restraint for a vehicle seat assembly that is automatically retractable between a deployed position and a stowed position. More particularly, the present invention relates to an electromechanical retractable head restraint operatively coupled to a seat back of the seat assembly for actuation between the stowed position lowered against the top of the seat back and the deployed position raised above the seat back in response to the presence of an occupant seated in the seat assembly.
2. Description of Related Art
Automotive vehicles typically include one or more seat assemblies having a seat cushion and a seat back for supporting passengers above a vehicle floor. The seat assembly is commonly mounted to the vehicle floor by a seat track assembly for providing fore and aft adjustment of the seat assembly for passenger comfort. The seat back is typically pivotally coupled to the seat cushion by a recliner assembly for providing pivotal adjustment of the seat back relative to the seat cushion.
The seat assembly also includes a head restraint coupled to the top of the seat back for supporting the seat occupant's head. The head restraint is typically slidably coupled to the seat back and either power actuated or manually actuated between a stowed position lowered against the top of the seat back and a deployed position raised above the top of the seat back. It is desirable to actuate the head restraint to the deployed position when an occupant is seated in the seat to properly support the seat occupant's head. However, when an occupant is not seated in the seat, the deployed head restraint can impinge upon the view through the rear of the vehicle, and therefore, it is desirable to retract the head restraint to the stowed position.
However, it is not efficient or practical to manually retract the head restraint to the stowed position in every instance that an occupant vacates the seat assembly. Therefore, it is desirable to provide a head restraint which is automatically actuated between the stowed and deployed positions in response to the presence of an occupant seated within the seat which is detected by an occupant detection sensor in the seat cushion.